Revised 7/1/2008

Date Formed:

1785

Land Area (square miles):

607

County Seat:

Manning

Other Cities and Towns:

Paxville, Summerton, Turbeville

Form of Government:

Council-Administrator

Council Members:

Method of Election

Single Member/ Chair at Large

Term Length

4 years

Council of Government:

Santee Lynches

County History

Clarendon County was named for Edward Hyde, Earl of Clarendon (1608/9-1674), one of the Lords Proprietors of Carolina. The county was first established in 1785; in 1800 it became part of Sumter District but then was split from Sumter in 1857. Several Revolutionary War skirmishes took place in this area; at Fort Watson in 1781 British soldiers were driven from a large Indian mound that had been fortified. During the Civil War Union troops under General Edward Potter moved through the area, burning several plantations. In the 1950s Clarendon County schools were sued over the issue of racial segregation. The case, Briggs v. Elliott, was one of several cases that eventually led the U.S. Supreme Court to abolish segregation in 1954. Clarendon County can claim five South Carolina Governors, all related: James Burchell Richardson (1770-1836), Richard Irvine Manning (1789-1836), John Peter Richardson (1801-1864), John Laurence Manning (1816-1889), and John Peter Richardson (1831-1899). Children's author Peggy Parish (1927-1988) and tennis player Althea Gibson are also Clarendon natives.

Population Trends

Value

Rank

Value

Rank

Population 1980:

27,464

Numeric Change 1980-2000:

5,038

Population 1990:

28,450

Numeric Change 2000-2007:

320

Population 2000:

32,502

Avg. Ann. Growth Rate 1980-2000:

0.91%

Population Estimate 2006:

32,769

Avg. Ann. Growth Rate 2000-2007:

0.14%

Population Estimate 2007:

32,822

Percent Change 2006-2007:

0.16%

Persons Per Square Mile 2007:

54.1

Economic Data

Value

Rank

Value

Rank

Jobs 1980:

7,890

Personal Income (PI) 2006:

$732,385

Jobs 1990:

8,575

Avg. Ann. Growth Rate (PI) 1969-2006:

7.9%

Jobs 2000:

9,175

Per Capita Personal Income 2006:

$22,350

Jobs 2005:

8,809

% of U.S. PCPI 2006:

61%

Jobs 2006:

9,016

Average Wage Per Job 2006:

$25,451

Numeric Change Jobs 2005-2006:

207

% of U.S. Avg. Wage Per Job 2006:

61%

Avg. Annual Growth Rate 1980-2000:

0.81%

Unemployment Rate 2007:

8.7%

Avg. Annual Growth Rate 2000-2006:

0.38%

Avg. Unemployment 1998-2007:

7.9%

Tax Data

Value

Rank

Value

Rank

Assessed Property 2005:

$79,569,360

Per Capita Assessed Property 2005:

$2,448

County Base Millage Rate 2007:

0.1503

Additional Sales Tax (if applicable)

Value of One Mil 2007:

$80,365

Local Option Sales Tax:

1.0%

Millage Cap FY09:

3.0%

Capital Projects Sales Tax:

Net Taxable Sales FY06:

$167,872,407

School District Sales Tax:

1.0%

Admissions Tax Collected FY06:

$56,160

Transportation Sales Tax:

Accommodations Tax Collected FY06:

$138,694

Financial & Employment Data

Value

Rank

Value

Rank

Total Revenues FY06:

$17,408,093

Per Capita Revenues:

$536

Total Expenditures FY06:

$18,600,049

Per Capita Expenditures:

$572

General Fund Budget FY08:

$16,786,366

Per Capita General Fund Budget:

$516

Total Debt Outstanding FY07:

$3,140,000

Per Capita Debt Outstanding:

$96

Payroll FY 2008:

$6,168,379

Credit Rating(s) FY07

Full-Time Employees FY08:

230

Moody's:

Baa1

Part-Time Employees FY08

Standard & Poor:

BBB+

Full Time Emp/1,000 Cnty Residents:

7.08

Fitch:

AAA